Outgoing Director General Andrés Modesto Cruz Cruz handed over command of the Dominican Republic National Police to Major General Ernesto Rodríguez García in Santo Domingo on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.
The transition marked the end of the shortest tenure at the head of the law enforcement agency in the last 30 years, coming just six months after Cruz Cruz was appointed to the post.
Arriving at police headquarters in a black suit and tie without the uniform that accompanied him throughout his career, the outgoing general displayed a serious expression and lowered gaze as he entered the closed-door proceedings.
The National Police of the Dominican Republic is the primary state law enforcement agency responsible for public safety across the Caribbean country. Headquartered in Santo Domingo, the institution operates under the authority of the Ministry of Interior and Police.
Call for ethics and integrity
During the handover ceremony held inside the police directorate offices, Cruz Cruz delivered a farewell message urging officers to maintain their ethical and moral principles and warning that acting in accordance with the law must never be viewed as a sign of weakness.
Presided over by Minister of Interior and Police Faride Raful, the ceremony provided the venue for Cruz Cruz to tell members of the force never to allow anyone to make them believe that doing what is right is a weakness or a mistake.
He exhorted officers to remain strong in preserving their ethical and moral standards and to never stop fighting for what is right even if it costs them their post, stating that integrity requires character.
Cruz Cruz stressed that the conduct of a public servant is tested especially during moments when there is no supervision. He stated that doing the right thing when no one is looking is precisely what defines a true public servant.
Institutional continuity and internal standards
Addressing the broader leadership of the police force, the former director downplayed the significance of individual names heading the agency, assuring that the primary objective must be guaranteeing the continuity of the institutional process.
He remarked that it does not matter who occupies the General Directorate of the police tomorrow, noting that what is truly important is for the institution to continue advancing.
Cruz Cruz proposed that opportunities must be created within the police for agents who perform their duties correctly, adding that good officers should have possibilities to grow and that those who honour the uniform must be recognized.
At the same time, he called for maintaining a firm stance against anyone engaging in unlawful conduct, warning that officers who depart from legality should know the institution cannot tolerate behavior that damages its credibility.
Contrast with previous transition
The brief and subdued departure stood in sharp contrast to Cruz Cruz's arrival on February 18, when he assumed office amidst formal honours, speeches, and an outdoor ceremony on the institutional esplanade that gathered numerous public figures.
During that previous change of command, outgoing chief Ramón Antonio Guzmán Peralta received a formal recognition award as Cruz Cruz took office before the institutional structure he would lead.
On Tuesday morning, generals, colonels, and senior officers arrived early at police headquarters without the uncertainty surrounding previous transitions, as President Luis Abinader had already sworn in Major General Ernesto Rafael Rodríguez García on Monday.
With only the internal handover remaining, official protocol was fulfilled in the director's office when Modesto Cruz Cruz handed over the institutional flag to Major General Rodríguez García as a symbol of continuity, commitment, and service to the nation before departing.
Shortly after the former director left the building, police officers were seen carrying out a box containing belongings of the retired major general and bringing in items for the incoming administration of Major General Ernesto Rodríguez García.
